Not That Kind of Mom

I know moms who set the table pretty for every meal.  Make huge meals....EVERY day.  Know moms who volunteer for every single events.  Give money to buy band uniforms.  I know moms who drive really nice cars.  I know moms who buy their kids cars.  I know moms who are always first in line for picking up.  I know lots of moms.  Really good moms.  And I used to be intimidated.  Feel inferior.  But, lately, two of my kids have really been an encouragement.  At different times I have gotten, "you're not that kind of mom."  And my son yesterday pointed out how too many moms make it a competition.  And that it's not.  Wow, how insightful, my 16 year old boy.  And my daughter has told me that she likes that I'm the kind of mom who tells her the truth and pushes her to do more....but that she knows that I love her.  They like that I like them for them.  Oh, they like my cooking too.  But, don't expect it every day.  They can cook too....and, honestly, I think that they should.  I don't need to make myself indispensable to my kids to be valuable in their lives.  As a matter of fact, now are the years when I need to be becoming more DISPENSABLE....and what I gave them already needs to become a part of them.  I have instilled them with two things that I set out to do from the beginning......a sense that God always cares and is always there for THEM...not through me......and that they can trust the hopes and dreams that He put in their lives...that He doesn't expect them to look like everyone else--but that if they make a mistake then to do something different.  I have encouraged, pushed, pulled.  griped, encouraged, prayed...lots...and simply just had the pleasure of being in their lives.  I'm no June Cleaver...seeing as how I don't have a maid.  And I'm no Claire Huxtabel...seeing as how I'm not rich.  But, I am the one, the only one, that God chose to be each of their mom.  I am not just A mom, I am THEIR mom.  Made for it.  Created to do it well.  And just like they need to trust that He is making them enough to fulfill their dreams, I've had to trust that He is making me enough to fulfill my job as their mom.  It's not a competition.  I don't can everything that I've grown in my yard.  I love that people do.  Each of us moms are unique.  OOh, I wish I had a picture of moms side by side....all different....all good moms.
I know...there ARE bad moms.  Not many though.  But the abusive ones.  The ones who hate their kids.  That's the thing that makes a bad mom.  Because a mom that loves her kids, no matter how she figures out how to show it, kids are great at picking up on it.  Really love them...not dependent on them or jealous for someone else to have them.  For those moms that hate their kids, I pray most of all.  Because the thing is....their kids still love them.  And it's going to be painful if they one day realize that.
grace to you.